


Twelve Years

by anonymouslywriting



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Party, boyf riends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 21:33:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14777621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymouslywriting/pseuds/anonymouslywriting
Summary: Jeremy wants to get drunk for the first time and the night that follows is certainly... interesting.





	Twelve Years

**Author's Note:**

> House party time! Including:  
> Drunk Squip Squad  
> Richjake  
> Best friends Jeremy and Christine  
> Dancing and banter  
> TW: includes sickness, not too graphic.

Jeremy reached his arm out to grab a bottle of Apple Sourz from the kitchen counter, which was stuffed with a veritable rainbow of alcoholic beverages.

“Whoa, hold up there, bud, you’ve never drunk before!” Michael laughed, darting forwards and snatching the bottle before Jeremy could reach it.

“Yeah, well, I’m gonna today.” Jeremy said, folding his arm and glaring a challenge back at Michael.

“Go for it, dude!” Michael laughed back as he grabbed a bottle of Apple Tango and sloshed fizzing soda into a red solo cup. “You don’t wanna be dead before the party gets going, though, so take this for ‘Never Have I Ever’.” He handed Jeremy back the cup with a grin, the drink now topped up with Sourz.

“Here we go!” Jeremy grinned.

 

\---

 

“Never have I ever… spiked the entire cast with sq- I mean, _ecstacy_ , and triggered the weirdest trip possible.” Michael must have drunk half the bottle of toffee liqueur but he managed to keep a straight face as he stared Jeremy down.

“You shitface!” Jeremy yelled, tipping the remainder of his drink into his mouth to a chorus of whooping and raucous laughter.

“Oh yeah, the _ecstasy_ , that sure was a wild ride.” Christine nudged Jeremy with her elbow and grinned with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Who’s next?” Rich yelled over the chaos as Jeremy reached for the Sours bottle and clumsily poured a shot.

“My turn!” Christine shouted over the mad heckling and laughter. “Never have I ever... made out with a guy!”

She had to yell to be heard over all the conversations bubbling around her, but was met with loutish cries as Rich raised his cup along with the girls.

“Totally bi, guys!” He grinned. “Don’t know what _your_ problem is!”

Christine took a gulp from her cup and looked sideways past Jeremy. He followed her gaze and found it to rest on Michael, who had just downed the rest of his cup.

“Michael, dude, sp- _ill_!” Jeremy said in mock outrage, grabbing his arm and prodding his sides with barely contained mirth.

“Never ask a master toAGH-reveal his secrets, Jer.” Michael responded as he danced away from Jeremy’s jibes.

Luckily, the conversation was interrupted by the strains of ‘Mr Brightside’ spilling into the kitchen, and everyone immediately whooped and abandoned their drinks in favour of the lounge-turned-dancefloor. Michael found himself facing Jeremy, who was no more dexterous when intoxicated, but definitely unwound, flopping about with loose shoulders and waving arms.

“It was only a kiss, IT WAS ONLY A KISS!” they yelled, Michael locking eyes with Jeremy as he threw his hands forwards in mock anguish.

As the chorus pumped and surged, the crowd of dancers pushed inwards as the jumped to the beat, leaving Jeremy almost pressed against Michael, his neck snapping down every time his feet hit the floor. The rush of the music and the syrupy alcohol was coursing through the room and Jeremy had never felt so alive, alive, alive!

A stream of tunes kept everyone on the dancefloor, from epic drops to musical belters. When “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” came on, nobody hesitated with jumping straight in. Jeremy grabbed Christine’s arm and dragged her into the middle of the room, spinning her round and round with his arm outstretched. He pulled her in with a laugh and stood back to back with her, belting every word to the ceiling. Christine laughed and turned, grabbing Jeremy’s hands and pulling him down and towards her head.

“I think Michael wants a turn!” She yelled in his ear before pushing her arms away and sending Jeremy spinning into Michael.

 _Of course, Michael’s an awesome dancer!_ The thought drifted through Jeremy’s head and made him laugh out loud as he grabbed Michael’s hands, pulling him into a ballroom hold and then spinning him round and round.

Michael grinned with giddiness he’d been holding for years and laughed he executed four perfect spins before snapping his hands down, pulling Jeremy down with with him to stand face-to-face. The music blasted and faded from from the speakers and they locked eyes, ‘oo-ing’ the last lines of the track in perfect sync at the top of their lungs. Those few seconds of music-less yells and cheers pounded through Jeremy’s blood. The music hanging in the air and the face in front of him could’ve lasted a year and a second simultaneously, the only notice of time passing being the breaths he was heaving in. Then, just like that it was over and Michael had already let go and moved backwards to join the cheers.

Some generic dance song moved into the space between the people crowding the lounge and everyone started dancing again. To Jeremy’s tipsy confusion, however, Michael had turned around and was fighting to leave the room.

“Michael!” Jeremy yelled. “Where are you GOING?”

“To my car, I need to-”

“Noooo!” Jeremy wailed, bounding forwards to grab Michael’s wrists. “We’re just getting started!”

“I need to get my shit, Jer!” Michael protested, laughing as he twisted his arms away.

“No you don’t, come BACK!” Jeremy lunged forwards and wrapped his arms around Michael’s waist, easily lifting off the ground and spinning him back around as he shook in laughter.

“Dude, I need it!” Michael gasped as he kicked and flailed to escape, breathless to his stomach from laughing. He managed to get his feet back on the ground and prise Jeremy’s arms away.

“NO Michael don’t go!” Jeremy wailed, flailing his arms forwards to try and get a hold of him.

“Fine, idiot, come with me!” Michael said, dragging Jeremy through the remaining crowd and out into the hall. Michael pushed open the door and collapsed out into the fresh night air.

“Oof, STEADY!” Michael huffed when Jeremy tumbled into the back of him, who was still clinging to Michael’s arm and giggling.

“Wait… where’s your car?” Jeremy said, stopping dead behind Michael without letting go of his arm, jerking him backwards.

“Someone’s stolen your car!” Jeremy wailed.

Michael giggled, pulling on his arm. “It’s in a car park down there, dummy.” Jeremy lurched forwards and stumbled slightly, looking down to his sock-clad feet as he tripped over them.

“Whoa, careful.” Michael said, steadying him.

“Whoops-a-daisy!” Jeremy giggled. His hand slipped down Michael’s wrist and he grabbed his hand before he could topple forwards.

They ambled down the road together slowly, Jeremy still giggling as he listed from side to side slightly in his attempts to stay in a straight line.

“You’re switching to water now Jeremy, you’re plenty tipsy for your first time.” Michael said with a lazy laugh at another outwards lurch.

“Whatever you say, Player One!” Jeremy said, turning his head to shoot Michael a grin. This gesture, however, took up too much of his limited coordination skills and he tripped into Michael.

“ _Gah,_ jeez, Jeremy!" Michael exclaimed, sticking his elbow out and bracing his hand in Jeremy’s to push his gangly limbs back upright. "You're all over the place!"

"Sorry." Jeremy replied hazily, his head still stuck in the music. 

"It's  _fine_ , fine." Michael chuckled. "I’ve drunk more than you, Jer,” His voice sounded like warm honey to Jeremy's ears. “...but I’m only really waved.” he finished with a low breath of laughter.

Jeremy almost skipped onwards, swinging Michael’s hand back and forth with his own. “Ohh, I wanna… dance with somebody.” he sung, barely getting through the line without giggling.

As the car park came into view down the road, Michael fished his spare hand into his pocket for his keys.

“Where are they…” he murmured, tapping his back pocket. He removed his hand from Jeremy’s grasp to get into his other pocket. “Ah!” He clicked the button and pushed open the trunk with lazy, languid arms. Jeremy looked down at his empty hand in mild surprise and leant against the side of the car. A wave of sleepiness washed gently over him and he leaned his head back against the top of the car, closing his eyes.

“Alright!” Michael said, swinging his rucksack onto his outside arm, still adorned with ‘riends’, and shut the trunk with his other hand. Jeremy jumped slightly at the bang but grinned lazily over at Michael. He virtually peeled himself off the car and meandered forwards with a newfound chill, nodding his head and murmuring Whitney Houston lyrics, occasionally strutting his sock-clad feet in front of him.

Michael reached the front door and headed for the stairwell with his bag in hand, leaving Jeremy to vaguely wonder where he should go next.

“Water.” He decided, and strolled into the kitchen. To Jeremy’s mild interest, Jake had Rich pinned against the counter in a furious lip lock. Jeremy grabbed his cup and sloshed some water in.

“Hey Jeremy, I didn’t see you there!” Christine’s voice sounded from somewhere near Jeremy’s knee, and he looked down to see Christine herself sat cross-legged on the floor, nursing her beer.

“Oof!” Jeremy folded himself clumsily onto the cold tile.

“Where did you disappear off to, you missed Hips Don’t Lie!” Christine pouted at Jeremy.

“Michael wanted his stuff from the car. Y’know, he’s so cute, he told me I was plenty drunk? Isn’t that… cute!” Jeremy knew he was rambling, but for once he decided to roll with it. “Y’know, I’m glad that you didn’t wanna date me Christine, you’re such a great friend and I love you and Michael so much.” Jeremy said with a smile.

“Aw, I love you too, Jeremy… I think there’s part of me that always has.” Christine returned the smile. “But remember Jeremy, Michael’s your player one, yeah?”

Jeremy smiled again. “For forever.”

Christine watched the blissful smile on Jeremy’s face with an internal smirk. Could it _really_ be that all he needed to finally reciprocate Michael’s affections was a bit of liqueur?

Jeremy took a sip of water and promptly yawned. At this, Christine clambered to her feet.

“I’m gonna go and grab a seat on the couch before everyone conks out. Later, Jeremy!”

Jeremy waved from the floor. He was about to take another mouthful of water when a particularly prominent moan came from the opposite corner of the kitchen. At this, Jeremy cheerfully decided that it was time to leave the room.

He placed his cup on the side and wandered into the dining room. Someone had turned the speakers down to a playlist of sleepy electronica and dimmed the disco strobe to a hazy glow. The noise of before had fallen to lazy chatter and the air was hazy with contentment. Jeremy shut his eyes and swayed on the spot for a moment, taking in the scene. He opened them again and was about to move into the lounge when he noticed a pair of white Vans sticking out from underneath the table.

Jeremy hunched down and clambered onto all fours. “Michael?” He was lying on his back under the table, hands behind his head.

“ _Hey._ ” It almost came out with an exclamation point. “It’s dark under here, it’s nice.” Michael’s words dripped off his tongue like syrup. To Jeremy it sounded as if he’d been wound down to 33rpm compared to the usual 45.

Jeremy crawled under the table and lay down under Michael’s arm, letting his head flop sideways and his eyes shut.

Michael shifted sideways and stretched his inside arm out behind Jeremy’s head, his fingers skimming skinny shoulder. “Good time, huh?” Michael said, still speaking in a low, liquid tone. Jeremy shifted forwards so he was facing fully inwards and opened his eyes.

“Great time, great time…” Jeremy’s gaze fell on Michael’s face and he could not for the life of him pull it away.

“Michael Mell, Player One…” he murmured, lifting his arm upwards. His fingers seemed to find Michael’s jaw and he took it, smoothing his thumb over the joint. Jeremy found his hand slipping down Michael’s jaw, lifting his chin upwards.

Then, he quite simply stopped thinking and lifted himself up on his other elbow to touch his nose to Michael’s cheek. Before he even noticed, their lips had fallen together. Jeremy smiled into the kiss and smoothed his thumb against Michael's jaw again. It lasted mere seconds; or years. Jeremy was the one who pulled away, letting a dumb smile spread across his own features as he took in Michael’s face.

“Michael Mell.” he said again, in almost a whisper. But Jeremy’s eyes were burning, so he let them slide shut and nestled his head into Michael’s neck, pressing the tip of his nose up into the soft part of Michael’s cheek. Within seconds, he’d drifted away into a soft, black blanket of sleep.

 

\---

 

“ _Urgh_.” The groan barely escaped Jeremy’s throat. Everything was muted and drifting in sleep, apart from the stabbing pain in his stomach.  He vaguely became physically aware of the body next to him and the arm around his shoulder, and then suddenly he remembered. _I. Kissed. Michael._

The thought was interrupted by the wringing pain coursing through him. “Not now, ah, not now.” Jeremy groaned, rolling onto his back and curling his knees up away from Michael, now almost out from under the table. The music had stopped and only whispers could be heard from the pitch-black lounge.

“Jer? Jeremy?” Michael croaked from somewhere behind him. Another cramp seized Jeremy and he dragged himself out from under the table and pushed himself against the wall. Wrapping his arms around his stomach, he tried to choke the threatening tears back. A moaned sigh escaped his mouth and quickly turned into a sob. _What have I done?_

“Jeremy?” Michael had crawled out from under the table, the situation dawning on him. “Shit, stomach migrane…”

He shook his head to clear the sleep away, his glasses still perched on his nose. “Jeremy, you still have meds and shit in my car from the other day, remember? Come on, I’ll help you up, walking will help more than crushing your stomach all up like that, right? That’s it…”

Jeremy clung blindly to Michael’s arm and the two boys clambered to their feet. The house was dark and almost still, only alive by the blanket of whispering in the lounge. Jeremy dimly registered that the clock in the hallway read one AM, only a couple of hours since he’d last checked.

Jeremy merely stopped by the door, leaving Michael to reach his arm around Jeremy’s waist to push down the handle.

He shivered as the fresh night air crept onto his skin.

“C’mere, put your arm here, I’ll…” Michael took Jeremy’s arm and lifted it around his shoulders, curling his own arm around Jeremy's waist.

Jeremy’s head was a dull, blurred mess. He still felt drunk from the Sourz, and the only things that stuck in his mind for more than a second were his white socks tilting against the black tarmac, the twisting pain moving around his insides, and the fingers hooked around his waist gently holding him. A wave of pain rolled up through Jeremy and he stumbled with a moan. Michael tightened his arm gently around Jeremy’s waist to keep him close against his side.

“It’s just a little further, okay now.” Michael soothed, his voice still rasping low in his chest. Michael waited until they’d reached the car before retracting his arm from around Jeremy to get the keys. As he fumbled with the trunk door a sudden wave of nausea rode up Jeremy’s chest. His neck instinctively snapped down and he braced his hands on his thighs.

“Okay, okay.” Michael muttered as he pulled out a red duffle bag from the bottom of the trunk. He saw Jeremy stood with his lips parted and his neck hanging loose and quickly reached up to shut the trunk.

“Alright, Jer, okay.” He said, moving away from the car and reaching out to put his hand between Jeremy’s shoulder blades. Jeremy straightened up unsteadily, the sickness falling back down his throat.

“C’mon.” He said through teeth clenched in pain. Michael wrapped his arm around Jeremy’s waist again, rubbing his thumb up and down, up and down. Jeremy’s hands were clammy and cold but his face was burning against the night, and with another grunt he wondered miserably what deity had decided to forsake him today.

“Alright, upstairs to the bathroom.” Michael was already reaching for the front door. Almost tripping on the threshold, Jeremy made it inside and started to clamber upstairs. Michael stayed behind and put his hand at the small of Jeremy’s back to make sure he kept climbing. Jeremy almost tripped again on the last stair and Michael shot his hand out to grab Jeremy’s arm. Both safely on the landing, Michael opened the red bag and rifled through it, eventually fishing out a pair of soft pyjama trousers. “These are looser than jeans, Jer, go put them on, okay? I’ll find the pills.”

Jeremy took the things blindly and stumbled into the bathroom, hearing the door clunk shut gently behind him. He threw his jeans off and sat on the toilet, resting his head in his hands. Why now? Why had Michael even got all his shit for him?

A coldly familiar voice drifted through his head. _Probably because he just wanted get rid of all_ your _stuff before he dumps you._

Jeremy groaned into his hands, choking back tears. _What_ had possessed him to weird out his best friend like that and drive him away? Who tries to _kiss_ their best friend?

Bleary eyed and head spinning he pulled on the stripy pants, flushed the toilet and walked to the sink to come face to face with his reflection staring him down in the mirror. Skin flushed red, eyes small and bloodshot, white knuckles shining against the porcelain of the sink. His arms trembled visibly under the shivers running through him despite his burning cheeks. _Idiot, idiot, idiot._

He turned the hot tap on and tried to warm his icy hands under the stream. Failing that, he splashed some cold water in his face to try and cool the heat rising from his cheeks. He twisted the tap off and grabbed the hand towel just as a timid knock sounded on the door.

“Jeremy? Can I come in?”

Jeremy buried his face in the towel, failing to smother his sob. The door clunked gently open and Michael entered the room holding a sheet of pills.

“Here you go.” He said quietly, offering the pills with an outstretched arm. Jeremy looked up from the towel and dropped it on the floor, taking the pills without so much as a glance up further than Michael’s Vans. He pushed the foil forcefully and threw two tablets straight down his throat dry. In a desperate attempt to regain control, he took a shaky breath and braced his hands against the rim of the sink, staring at the plughole.

“Why are you still here, Michael.” He said flatly, fighting to keep the emotion out of his voice.

“What do you mean?” Michael tried not to sound hurt.

“I know you’re only here because you feel sorry for me, so you may as well leave. You’ve got rid of my shit from your car, there’s nothing holding you here. You don’t want to be around a guy who tries to come onto you.” Jeremy swallowed. “Nobody does.” He couldn’t keep a tremor out of the last two words.

Michael felt a rush of something heady and dizzying rush through his chest. He… didn’t regret it? Had he actually meant it? He wanted to laugh and jump Jeremy right there, but he stopped himself, choosing instead to step forwards until he was behind Jeremy.

“Jeremy? Look at me.” He reached his hand out timidly to cover the hand clutching white porcelain. Jeremy breathed a sigh as he felt the pills begin to soothe his pain.

“Jeremy?” Michael tugged gently at his hand.

Jeremy unclenched his hands and turned around, slumping down against the sink. He let his head hang and focused on the brown hand he knew so well covering his fingers and tried to keep them from swimming out of focus.

“Jeremy Heere…” Michael swallowed. “If you knew how long I’ve wanted to do what you did before…”

Jeremy lifted his eyes slowly, his heart stuttering. He… what? He saw Michael’s face was alight and shining.  

Michael could see something in Jeremy’s scared eyes now that he’d never seen before. Wonder? He reached his other hand up and gently pushed Jeremy’s hanging fringe back, revelling in the skin beneath his fingers.

“Really…” Michael whispered, taking a step forwards and lifting his head up.

_Take a shaky breath, and I…_

Their lips met for the second time that night. Jeremy flexed his fingers outwards and laced them fully in Michael's. He could _not_ believe that there were sparks exploding behind his eyes at the _boy_ kissing him. Michael Mell.

Jeremy pulled his mouth away to take a breath, letting his forehead fall to touch Michael’s. A giggle rose up in his throat and he opened his eyes to see Michael looking at him with that tender face he’d seen so many times, but this time all for him. _All for me!_ Jeremy couldn’t fight back a laugh of joy taking over his entire face and filling up his chest. He stood up fully and moved away from the sink, wrapping his arms around Michael’s neck. Michael had to rise onto the balls of his feet before curving both of his arms around Jeremy’s waist. Jeremy’s eyes were already closed and he bent his neck down to meet Michael’s smiling face.

_I’m._

_Kissing._

_Michael._

_Mell._

Jeremy didn’t want to pull away, but the truth was he was starting to get dizzy from oxygen deprivation. He lifted his head to get another eyeful of Michael, whose cheeks were now flushed and eyes were now sparkling.

Jeremy couldn’t hold back the _weird_ of all of this, and so he took a step back to lean against the sink.

“I… what?” He couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping, and put his hands over his face and shook his head.  

Michael stepped forwards to stand between Jeremy’s knees and reached up to encircle Jeremy’s wrist in his fingers. “The amount of times I’ve wanted to do this…” Jeremy let his hand be pulled away from his face and Michael softly kissed his cheek.

“Come here.” Jeremy said, a lump rising in his throat again. He buried his face in Michael’s neck and wrapped his arm around his waist, pulling im inwards.

“You’ve always been here…” Jeremy mumbled, hooking his other arm over Michael’s shoulder. The smell was so familiar, toffee liqueur and shampoo and skin and sleep.

Michael’s face was pressed against Jeremy’s shoulder and his fist scrunched around his shirt.

_Twelve years._

 

Jeremy finally found the energy (and will) to lift his head. His eyes were heavy but his chest was warm and full and buzzing. He tried and failed to swallow a yawn.

“Sleep?” Michael said softly.

“Sleep.” Jeremy replied with a slow blink.

Michael hooked his little finger around Jeremy’s and followed him as he picked his way down the stairs with all the grace and dexterity of a baby giraffe.

Whatever deity that had previously forsaken Jeremy had decided to make up for it in the form of a huge pile of cushions abandoned under the window in the lounge. Jeremy made to move forwards, but hesitated at the prospect of trampling a room of drunk sleeping teenagers. Michael noticed the pause and moved to hop his way through the room, leading Jeremy with his little finger.

Unknown to either of them, Christine had heard them wake up, leave and return again, and was grinning like a Cheshire cat in the dark as she watched their outstretched arms looped together from the couch.  _It's about time Jeremy actually used his eyes, I don't think Michael could take any more of his oblivious little face!_

Jeremy folded himself inwards and onto the cushions with a sigh of relief and curled up with his back to the wall, his eyes already falling shut. Michael kicked his Vans off, clambered onto the cushions, threw his glasses to the side and settled underneath Jeremy’s outstretched arm. Jeremy lifted his head with great effort and kissed Michael’s jaw gently before letting his head fall back completely and succumbing to sleep once more.

 

\---

 

For the second time that day, Jeremy woke up sick to his stomach. This time when he registered his surroundings, he was lying alone. He opened his eyes to see the room was silent and filled with early morning sunshine leaking through gauzy curtains. Another bleary glance confirmed that Michael and his glasses were both gone.  

Jeremy tried not to groan out loud. _Oh, God. He_ can’t _have ditched me._ He let his head fall back to the cushions and wrapped his arms around himself. _No, no, no, no, no…_

Michael saw Jeremy lying curled in upon himself from the dining room, his hair falling over flushed skin. He smiled and picked his way through the sleeping cast.

Jeremy heard muted footsteps and lifted his head blearily to see a pair of socks were padding towards him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed Michael’s Vans were still lying near Rich’s head.

“Jer, I didn’t mean to wake you…” Michael whispered. He was holding the red duffle bag and the half-used pill sheet in one hand and a mug in the other. Jeremy pushed himself onto his elbows and Michael sat down under the sill with his back against the wall.

“Th-thank you.” Jeremy whispered and wrapped his hands around the mug of water. He took a sip and expertly popped two pills in one hand. Michael gestured at the mug and Jeremy handed it back to him, and he twisted round and gently placed it on the window sill.

“I thought you left…” Jeremy whispered, barely audible.

Michael just chuckled. “C’mere.”

Jeremy put his head on Michael’s lap. He heard rustled movement around him and to his surprise, felt Michael place something hot between his stomach and Michael’s thigh.

“Found a heat pack at the bottom of the bag, it helps, right?” Michael whispered. Jeremy merely responded by nestling his head into Michael’s stomach and letting out a small sigh.

 

\---

 

Christine was one of the first cast members to awaken. When she’d stumbled back to the lounge from the bathroom, she saw Michael sat against the wall, one arm over Jeremy’s shoulders and the other stroking his fringe off his forehead. His own head was tilted back against the wall, and he still had his glasses on. At her movement, he opened his eyes and shot a weary, warm smile at Christine. She grinned back. Michael deserved _every_ bit of happiness coming for him.

She watched Jake wake up and take in the sight of Rich asleep on his chest. She watched Chloe and Brooke and Jenna all get up and stumble to the kitchen for coffee.

She watched Michael play with Jeremy’s hair well into the morning as the room moved into motion around him. And when Jeremy finally awoke, she saw the glaze of tiredness lift from Michael’s drooping eyelids, and saw how Jeremy’s face came to life when he gazed up at the boy holding him.


End file.
